There's nothing quite like an SSD to really hammer home the "high performance" feeling in a new notebook. Apple's been cramming SSDs into MacBook Air machines for some time now, but Other World Computing believes in pushing the envelope. The company's Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G 480GB SSD offers up to 3x faster performance and 8x more storage capacity for the MacBook Air, and for those who are already running low on local storage, this is a huge boon.

The 480GB beast will work in the latest 11.1" and 13.3" MacBook Air models, incorporating 6Gb/sec data rate capabilities and Tier 1/Grade A Toggle Synchronous NAND to deliver data rates up to 3x faster than factory 3G (3Gb/s) options and up to 8x the storage capacity of the factory's base 64GB SSD model. oining two previously released Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G capacity models-120GB and 240GB-the new 6Gb/s SATA Revision 3.0 480GB model continues OWC's position as the only alternative to factory SSD options for the MacBook Air models. 3G speed Mercury SSDs from OWC are also available in capacities up to 480GB. OWC offers an easy online guide to assist consumers in selecting the correct Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD for any of Apple's MacBook Air models from 2008 to current.

Compatible with current 11.1" and 13.3" MacBook Air models, the Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G 480GB model has a MSRP of $1,149.00 and is available from OWC. All Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G models include 7 percent over provisioning, Toggle Synchronous NAND, and a three-year warranty. Nope, not even close to cheap (in fact, this drive may be more than your MBA!), but what else would you expect for NAND this fast and this sizable?